3rd KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE CONFERENCE 2010 & 8th Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2010

1 & 2 December 2010. Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur. The Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI) and Malaysia Automotive Association co-organized the 3rd Kuala Lumpur International Automotive Conference 2010 (KLIAC 2010).

Dato Aishah Ahmad, President Malaysian Automotive Association, the Co-Organising Chairman for KLIAC 2010 and the Organising Chairman for KLIMS 2010 gave her opening remark followed by Mirzan Mahathir, President Asian Strategy & Learning Institute (ASLI) and also the Co-Oganising Chairman for KLIAC 2010.

The 3rd KLIAC 2010 and the 8th KL International Motor Show 2010 (KLIMS 2010) was then launched by the Minister of Transport, the Hon Dato Seri Kong Cho Ha.

I was invited as a panelist and speaker for Session 5 which was implemented ala the innovative and highly interactive ‘Talk Show’ and ‘Davos’ -style format that offered a relaxed, more conversational approach to disseminating needed information.

Armin Baniaz Pahamin (PEDA), Dr Steven C.M. Wong (ISIS), Dato Ghazzali Dato Mohd Yusoff (MIDA), Datuk Wan Mohamed Wan Embong (PVA), Daniel Fernandes (Asian Auto), Chips PS Yap (Motor Trader)

 I gave my opening presentation together with 4 other panellist before a healthy discussion, debate and Q&A. My topic was "Gearing up for AFTA- Potential Economic Impact on the Regional & National Automotive Industry. Are we Ready for ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (AEC) (<- click on link for details)".

The theme of the conference was "The Automotive Industry in a Changed Era- Gearing for Innovation, Sustainability & Profitability" and there were 7 topics to be debated and deliberated by the ASEAN eminent speakers and delegates from the industry.

The moderator for our session was Dato' Ghazzali Dato' Mohd Yusoff, the Executive Chairman, Nusantara Technologies Sdn Bhd/ Board member of Malaysia Industrial Development Authority (MIDA). Dato Ghazzali graduated from the University Malaya in 1968 in Economics and Geography. He then worked in a a multinational company and traveled extensively throughout the world. The Company encouraged him to be active in many outside activities and he therefore enjoyed various positions and involvement in National, Regional and International Organisations. He is also actively involved in the field of sustanable developemnt and is currently the Honorary Executive Director of the Business Council for Sustainable Development Malaysia of which is also the foundng emember. His other affiliation includes Advisor to Asia-Pacific Office of the Oxford Centre for Leadership.

Other panelist for the same topic were Datuk Dr Wan Mohamed Wan Embong President PROTON Vendors Association (PVA) / Chairman & Chief Executive WSA Group. He is concurrently Group Managing Director & President of the WSA Group of Companies. The Groupis involved in Consultancy, trading and manufacturing of the automotive components and building materials. Datuk Dr Wan Mohamed obtained his PhD from the Canterbury University, New Zealand as well as Bachelor and Masters degree from the University Malaya. In addition, Datuk also sits on numerous committee including servins as a comittee member of the Joint Task Force under MAJAICO (Malaysia-Japan Automotive Industry Cooperation) Working Committee Member for the Automotive Cluster Industry, Econominc Planning Unit (EPU), Steering Committee Member for Automotive Technical Expert Assistance Programme under MAJAICO; Panel member of the Industrial Master Plan III Automotive Sector; Commercial Committee Member of the Technology Fund under Industry Cluster of the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation Sdn Bhd (MTDC); Industry Advisor Panel Member for the Japanese Associate Degree Programme for the Selangor Industrial University. He has also served as the Committee Member of the BCIC1 chaired by then Minister in the Prime Minister Department YB Datuk Seri Mohd Effendi Norwawi.

Steven C.M. Wong Senior Director, Economics Institute of Strategic & International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia and served as its Assistant Director General. He is concurrently Director of Centre for China Studies. He has worked on national, regional and international economic issues for more than twenty years. His previous positions include senior executive positions in research, fund management and capital markets with several Malaysian financial institutions. He is a past Secretary General of the Malaysian National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation. and Malaysia Committee for Pacific Basic Economic Co-operation. He has also served on the secretariats of two ASEAN eminent persons groups. Steven has written more than 30 papers and articles. His work has been published, among others, by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and  Development (OECD), the East Asian Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, the Australian National University and the Institute of Southeast Asia Studies (ISEAS), Singapore. His interests covers economics, international relations, law and theology. He received his undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Daniel Fernandes Group Editor Asian Auto.

Armin Baniaz Pahamin was elected President of PROTON EDAR Dealers Association Malaysia (PEDA). PEDA is an association that comprises of PROTON Edar Sales & Service dealers. PEDA members currently contribute to more than 80% of PROTON Edar Sales in Malaysia with an annual combined trade volume exceeding RM4.0billion. Armin Graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Economics from the University of Buckingham, UK in 1994. He is concurrently Managing Director for ABP Auto Ventures Sdn Bhd. an authorised PROTON Edar sales dealer. He is also the founder and Managing Director of Fasfik Malaysia. He was featured as a successful young entrepreneur by Personal MONEY, the EDGE Financial Magazine. Prior to his business endeuvours, he was with the Commerce International Merchant Bankers Berhad in Corporate Finance. He also served as the Executive Chairman of Jackspeed Industries (M) Sdn Bhd., a company principally involved in the manufacturing and fabrication of leather seat covers for automotive, aviation, marine, and locomotive industry. In addition, he is also the licensee of the Original Bootcamp Malaysia. Original Bootcamp is a 20 years old Australian franchise military inspired Group Outdoor Personal Training program. Armin had also participated in various fund-raising activities and had organized annual blood donation campaign, funds for the orphanage and cancer research.

The paper that I presented was as follows:

Chips PS Yap, Group Interactive Editor Motor Trader Interactive/ Autocar ASEAN. he has been reporting on the motor industry for more than 30 years covering a broad spectrum of topics from industry development to new products evaluations. Although the initially considered a career in architecture, a stronger interest in writing led him to switch to journalism. Being an automobile and motor sports enthusiast, he specialize  as a motor journalist and went on to become editor of three motor magazines in Malaysia. Two of which he was given the responsibility of starting from scratch. Since the beginning of this decade, he has been active in auto websites and was editor of the Autoworld website for a few years. He is now managing the Malaysian Motortrader website which is owned by the MTM Multimedia Sdn Bhd, publisher of the Motor Trader and Bike Trader weekly magazines and Autocar Asean monthly magazine. With his extensive knowledge of the local auto industry, Chips also provide consultancy services for certain automotive research companies and has been invited to make presentations to a few Global manufacturers on issues concerning the Malaysian automotive market.

Vincente T Mills President ASEAN Automotive Federation (AAF)/ President. Philippine Automotive Federation

Bill Russo Senior Industry Advisor - Automotive, Greater China, Booz & Company, People's Republic of China

Hajime Yamamoto Director, IHS Automobile, Thailand

Sugato Sen, Senior Director, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacture (SIAM), India.

Dato Syed Zainal Abidin, PROTON Holding Berhad Managing Director 

Prof IR Dr Azhar Dato Abdul Aziz, Director of Automotive Development Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Technology Malaysia (UTM).

Matthias Gelber, board member, International Network of Environment Management (INEM) and Co-Founder of Maleki GmbH.

 Ahmad Maghfur USman, Equity Analyst OSK Research.

YM Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tg Arif, 

Datuk Aminar Rashid Salleh Managing Director, PERODUA.

 Santo Amoddio, Managing Director Eurotax Glass, Australia.

Aaron Newman, Director & Shareholder of Auto-It Pty Ltd, Australia.

There were abundance of knowledge gained from the 2 days conference. The Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show 2010 was launched on Day 2 of the KLIAC 2010 conference. The speakers and delegates were invited for a sneak preview.....

and of course... I became an unpaid model & sales man for PROTON... 

PROTON DISPLAYED 5 OF ITS NEW PROTOTYPES 

& Concept car.....

To all PROTON dealers and fellow Malaysian.. hang in there!!! More delicious cars coming out as soon as 2011!!

Other Snapshots at the KLIAC 2010..